Providence Appoints Pete Hamstra VP for Enrollment

Providence Christian College is delighted to announce the hire of Pete Hamstra as our new Vice President for Enrollment effective immediately, filling the vacancy created by Larissa Kamps who has taken a new position with her church as Director of Communications. Pete comes to Providence with a variety of professional experiences, including working in and leading enrollment efforts at Christian colleges for many of the last 20+ years.

Pete graduated from Phoenix Christian High School in 1976 and headed off to Dordt College in Iowa, graduating in 1981 with degrees in Biology and Spanish. After graduation, Pete worked in admissions for Dordt College (Iowa) traveling all over the United States and Canada for six years promoting the school.

After that Pete moved back to Arizona with his new wife, Linda (née Wind, sister-in-law to Steve Kortenhoeven, former dean of students), who previously attended Ontario Christian middle school before her family moved their dairy to Colorado. In Arizona, Pete worked in the garbage industry for nine years including owning and operating his own business (West Valley Waste Service) for seven of those years. During that time his four children (three sons and a daughter) were born. In 1996, Pete sold the business and returned to admissions work at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois, as Dean of Admissions. Pete also served on the Administrative Council, and later served as Vice President of Admissions and Marketing and Vice President of Admissions and Advancement. God blessed the work at Trinity, and the college grew from an enrollment of around 600 to well over 1,200.

In late 2013, Pete heard from a friend that Arizona Christian University (ACU) was looking for a VP of Enrollment. Pete and his wife always hoped to return to Arizona, so he decided to pursue that opportunity. In January of 2014, Pete started work at ACU where their enrollment grew from 475 to 625. In February of 2018, after helping ACU bring in the Spring classPete decided to retire from ACU and has been active serving as an elder in his church, Phoenix United Reformed Church, and serving on the board of Phoenix Christian Preparatory School, his alma mater. Pete is passionate about Christian higher education and is very excited at what God is doing at Providence. Pete is eager to see how God will use him to further the work of Providence and how He may bless us in the coming years as he leads the enrollment team in working hard to promote the growth of Providence.

Pete will be serving Providence full-time although remotely, living full-time in Arizona, spending a number of days each month on campus, traveling to promote Providence, and working remotely from his home office in Arizona. His Providence email address is: pete.hamstra@providencecc.edu.